BASEBALL

BASEBALL; Belle Nearer To Joining The Orioles

By MURRAY CHASS

Published: November 29, 1998

The Baltimore Orioles, trying to recover from an expensive and disappointing season, inched closer yesterday to adding Albert Belle to their depleted lineup.

Arn Tellem, Belle's agent, said ''it's close,'' but cautioned that ''a couple little issues'' had to be resolved. An Orioles official said the two sides had already agreed to the basic terms of the contract, five years and about $65 million.

There was a wild-card element to the negotiations, however, and that was Belle himself. A friend of the slugging but controversial outfielder reiterated yesterday that Belle could still decide that he wanted to return to the Chicago White Sox, for whom he played the past two years.

But Tellem said he thought if the remaining issues were worked out, Belle would accept the deal and join the Orioles.

Belle, 32, is a free agent until next Wednesday because of a clause in the five-year, $55 million contract he signed with the White Sox two years ago. That clause stipulates that if he was no longer among the three highest-paid players he could be a temporary free agent and either sign elsewhere or remain with the White Sox.

He has spoken with Jerry Reinsdorf, the White Sox owner, about the possibility of staying in Chicago, but Reinsdorf apparently has not agreed to make any adjustments in the contract, either by adding money or by extending the no-trade provision beyond next season.

The Yankees had pursued Belle in case they did not re-sign Bernie Williams and, in fact, seemed at one point closer to adding Belle than keeping Williams. But when the Orioles offered Belle $65 million for five years, the Yankees decided that if they were going to spend that amount of money or more, they might as well match the offer the Boston Red Sox had made to Williams.

That left the Orioles as the only team still chasing Belle, who after midseason this year batted .387, clubbed 31 home runs and drove in 86 runs in 76 games. The Orioles want Belle's bat in their lineup to turn around the losing season they had this year despite their $72 million payroll, a baseball record.

People who have dealt with Belle believe he would fare better in Baltimore than he would have in New York because he would face less stress. In the past, at least, fans have been able to incite Belle, and he has paid for it, in suspensions and fines.

The Orioles' lineup has shrunk during the off season, with Roberto Alomar and Eric Davis leaving as free agents. The Orioles have made offers to two of their other free agents, first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and left fielder B. J. Surhoff, but neither player was moving quickly to accept.

If the Orioles sign Belle, they presumably would stop pursuing Surhoff, leaving the Mets in better position to sign him to play left field.